SAR-ACT: A Spatial Augmented Reality Approach to Cognitive Therapy

It is predicted that longevity will keep increasing in the forthcoming centuries. Thus, the elder demographic will grow, and the surge of age-related diseases will become more prevalent. These conditions can affect autonomy and affect the quality of life by reducing cognitive and motor capacities. While medical interventions have been progressing, preventive and restorative therapies remain an essential part of the rehabilitation process. Consequently, there is a high demand for tools that can help enhance the effectiveness of therapy. This work proposes a spatial augmented reality framework for creating card-based serious games for cognitive therapy. The objectives of the project are: to use this technology to facilitate the adaptability and personalization of serious games, to create an engaging tool that helps mitigate frustration in therapy, and to help therapists to keep track of patients’ progress to adapt future sessions. Two serious games were developed to test the applicability of the framework. An analysis of the work was made by a specialist that concluded it had accomplished the desired objectives and that it has promising results for future validation in cognitive therapy.

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